I. Immediately after the ballots cast at a state election have been tabulated and the result has been announced and the return has been made, the moderator or the moderator’s designee, in the presence of the selectmen or their designee, shall place the cast, cancelled, and uncast ballots, including such ballots from any additional polling places, and further including the successfully challenged and rejected absentee ballots still contained in their envelopes, in the containers provided by the secretary of state as required by N.H. Rev. Stat. § 659:97 and shall seal such container with the sealer provided by the secretary of state as required by N.H. Rev. Stat. § 659:97. The moderator or the moderator’s designee shall then enter in the appropriate blanks on such sealer on each container the number of cast, cancelled, and uncast ballots in such container and shall endorse in the appropriate place on such sealer a certificate in substance as follows: Enclosed are the ballots from the state election in the town of _________ (or in ward _______________ in the city of _________________ ) held on __________ , 20 ___ , Box _____ of _____ , to be preserved in accordance with N.H. Rev. Stat. § 33-A:3-a. The moderator and the selectmen or their designee shall sign their names in the appropriate blanks on the sealer.
II. Ballots, including cast, cancelled, and uncast ballots and successfully challenged and rejected absentee ballots still contained in their envelopes, prepared or preserved in accordance with the election laws shall be exempt from the provisions of RSA 91-A. This exemption shall apply to any ballots or absentee voter affidavits prepared for or used in any election conducted by the state or any political subdivision, including federal elections.